Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, declared today that there were “many signs” that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was dead. This came after Israel and the United States began an unprecedented attack on the country.
According to AFP, the strikes made Tehran unleash a salvo of missiles that made residents in cities all around the Middle East rush for safety.
The Iranian government told citizens to leave the capital, which has 10 million people, and the Red Crescent Society of Iran stated that at least 201 people had died and more than 700 had been injured in the strikes.
The Iranian courts reported that one strike on a school in the south killed 108 people, but our reporter couldn’t get to the spot to confirm the death toll or the details of what happened.
At the same time, the UAE said that one civilian had died and that missiles had damaged buildings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Explosions from Tehran’s retaliatory attack and air defenses intercepting it could also be heard in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Kuwait.
Netanyahu remarked on TV, “This morning, in a powerful surprise strike, the compound of the tyrant Ali Khamenei was destroyed in the heart of Tehran… and there are many signs that this tyrant is no longer alive.”
Witnesses say that people in Tehran’s streets cheered after hearing about the tragedy.
Black smoke has been observed rising over Tehran’s Pasteur area, where Khamenei usually lives. Israel’s Channel 12 network said that 30 bombs had been dropped on the compound.
Abbas Araghchi, the foreign minister, told NBC News earlier that Khamenei was alive “as far as I know,” and that “all high-ranking officials are alive.”
Esmail Baqaei, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, told the BBC that he was “not in a position to confirm anything” concerning Khamenei’s health. However, he did say that “the whole system, the whole nation is focused on defending (our) national integrity.”
Netanyahu warned that “thousands” of sites will be targeted in the next few days, which was a warning that the fighting was far from over. Iran’s senior security officer promised a strong response.
Netanyahu added, “This morning we killed high-ranking members of the ayatollahs’ regime, including commanders in the Revolutionary Guards and top officials in the nuclear program. We will keep doing this.”
Ali Larijani, who is in charge of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said, “The brave soldiers and the great nation of Iran will teach the oppressors of the world a lesson they will never forget.”
“Barbaric”
People in Tehran were going about their normal lives when the strikes started. Our correspondent journalist saw that security personnel swiftly filled the streets, shops closed their doors, and few people dared to go outside.
“I saw two Tomahawk missiles flying horizontally toward targets with my own eyes,” a worker in Tehran told AFP before communications and internet access were cut off.
The Red Crescent stated that the strikes hit 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces.
People in Israel stayed inside their homes while the booms of intercepted Iranian missiles echoed overhead. The streets were empty. Two persons were hurt, according to emergency services.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, on the other hand, told ships over the radio that the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway, was closed, according to the EU’s naval mission and Iranian media.
“Getting Rid of Imminent Threats”
The bombings happened after US President Donald Trump said he was angry with Iran’s position in talks about its nuclear and missile programs.
Trump said that the purpose of the US was to “eliminate imminent threats” from Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the goal of the operation was to remove a “existential threat.”
Trump declared, “We’re going to destroy their missiles and tear down their missile industry.”
He reportedly urged Iranians that “the hour of your freedom is at hand,” and he told them to rise up and “take over your government.”
This was the first time the US military had done something this big since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which was reportedly meant to bring down a foreign government.
Netanyahu reiterated Trump’s call to Iranians, saying it was time to “throw off the yoke of tyranny.”
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, head of Israel’s army, claimed that the operation was “taking place at a completely different scale” than the 12-day battle it fought against Iran in June, which the US briefly joined.
The military dubbed the operation “an extensive attack” and said it was the biggest air raid in the history of the Israeli Air Force.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced that their “missiles and drones have hit the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and other American bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as military and security centers in the middle of the occupied territories (Israel).”
Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE, and Israel all restricted their airspace to civilian traffic, at least in part. Many airlines also canceled flights to the Middle East.
Explosions Across the Gulf
People in the capitals of the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain, as well as our reporters there, heard many rounds of explosions from Iran’s retaliation strikes.
People in Qatar ran away in fear as a missile fell into a residential area and exploded into a flame when it hit the street.
And in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, golfers were shocked to see dozens of missiles soaring over their heads.
People living in the Juffair region of Bahrain’s capital, Manama, where the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based, were quickly evacuated.
“When we heard the sounds, we screamed out of fear,” recalled 15-year-old Jana Hassan, who was there. “I’ll never forget how loud those blasts were.”
Two witnesses informed our reporter that they heard an explosion and saw smoke rising from Dubai’s famous man-made island, The Palm. Authorities said four people were hurt.
As a mediator in recent US-Iran discussions, Oman’s foreign ministry called for “all parties to immediately cease military operations” and asked the UN Security Council to call for a ceasefire.
Two Israeli TV networks said that US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had seen a picture of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body.
Channel 12 said, “Netanyahu and Trump were shown a picture of the body.”
“Senior Israeli officials were told of Khamenei’s death. Public broadcaster Kan said, “His body was found in the rubble of his compound.” Tehran has not confirmed Khamenei’s death.
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